Despite her husband being in hospital for more than a week, the Queen was all smiles when talking with health officials and was willing to recount her experience of receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo / Twitter
Despite her husband being in hospital for more than a week, the Queen was all smiles when talking with health officials and was willing to recount her experience of receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo / Twitter
The Queen has publicly spoken for the first time on her Covid-19 vaccine experience, asking people to "Think about others rather than yourselves".
A video has been posted to Twitter by the Royal Family showing the Queen discussing her personal experience.
"Once you have the vaccine you have a feeling of, you know, you're protected," she told health officials over Zoom.
And in a rare moment, the Queen touched on how those who have never had a vaccine may feel, but said they should think about other people.
The Queen has spoken to health officials leading the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine across the four nations of the UK.
Her Majesty heard about the vital importance of ensuring all communities have access to the vaccine, and shared her own experience. pic.twitter.com/Cululfsh4y
"It is obviously difficult for people if they've never had a vaccine.
"They ought to think about other people rather than themselves."
The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccinations on January 10. "As far as I can make out it was quiet harmless".
The 94-year-old said getting the Covid-19 vaccine was very quick - "and the jab it didn't hurt at all".
It is understood the interview look place on Tuesday (UK time) and she spoke with four NHS chiefs in charge of the vaccine rollouts in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The vaccine rollout has been beset by hesitancy, largely among black ethnic minority communities, of whom just 72 per cent are willing to have the jab.
Nadhim Zahawi, the UK's Covid-19 vaccine deployment minister, said the government rollout was battling a "tsunami" of vaccine misinformation.
The Queen spoke with four health officials over Zoom. Photo / Twitter
Royal sources said it was the Queen's "passionately held belief" that everyone should take part in the programme.
Her comments were described as an "incredibly important vote of confidence" in the campaign.
They are reminiscent of her decision in 1957 to let it be known that Prince Charles and Princess Anne had been given the polio vaccine in order to counter public fears.
On December 8, Britain became the world's first country to begin a mass vaccination drive against the coronavirus.
Despite the fact her husband has been in hospital with an infection for the past week, she seemed happy to share her personal experience.
Despite her husband being in hospital for more than a week, the Queen was all smiles when talking with health officials and was willing to recount her experience of receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo / Twitter
It is understood Prince Philip is responding to treatment.
It is understood it is a non-coronavirus health matter.
Earlier in February it was announced other royal family members Prince Charles and his wife Camilla received their first vaccinations.
More than 18 million people in the United Kingdom have been vaccinated so far.
There have been more than four million coronavirus cases in the UK and more than 122,00 deaths.
In the past, the Queen has referred coronavirus as a "plague" that has swept across the world.
The royal family has taken an increasingly prominent role in publicising the vaccination campaign, returning to public engagements for the first time this year in order to visit vaccination hubs and speak to NHS staff and volunteers.
- Additional reporting by Victoria Ward from The Telegraph
